One Less
by Timothy Nicholas
Summary: Gwen is the least understood teen in her high school. Gwen can never have a steady relationship. Gwen has the weight on her shoulder. And Gwen can feel herself fall into the darkness of depression. One. Cut. At. A. Time


_**-**__**One Less Suicidal-**_

He had to be the dumbest teen I ran across in a long time… Either that or he had to be sheltered all his life by his parents, what a lucky bastard. But I don't call just anyone stupid, no I have a good reason.

I was watching my own life essence poor down my arm quite bored once again. I chose to go a little lower this time for obvious reasons, its getting hot and I'm not the type of Goth like likes to burn up in the heat. When the red liquid begin to drip to my pinky I took my alcohol swabs from my pocket to start and clean it when he came out of nowhere. We both just started at each other for five long seconds. I mentally pleated for a moment that his green eyes-which were so beautiful-wouldn't look to my arm. Unfortunately by the time the thought left my mind and before I could do the action of hiding my bleeding arm he saw it.

What I expected a look of disgust to cross his beautiful features was a complete opposite, a look of shock and panic washed over his features. Once again he went against my initial thoughts that he would take off scared of me but he did just the exact opposite. He dropped to his knees to join my position on cold gravel, his eyes never left my arm. All I could do was stare at him, what the hell was he doing trying to mentally close my small wound? My left wrist was still being held by my right hand and my legs were crossed Indian style.

"Do you want me to get help?" His airy deep voice reached my ear. The teenager did sound concern but I ignored it and snapped back.

"No, I'm fine." I looked at him emotionless but made sure my voice showed a hint of negativity, that should be enough for him to get the point.

He looked away from my arm finally, but I was angry at what he saw next. My pocket knife with dried blood covering the blade. _"Dammed boy"_ I thought bitterly. There was no way to hide the fact it was mine because it was right next to my knee._ "No way to lie out of this an attacker not stupid enough to leave evidence next to a victim, he should've never came over here."_ Then again who was I kidding I'm cutting myself on school grounds anyone could've found me here.

He only looked at the knife for another brief moment before turning his gaze back to me. "So you did this…to yourself?" He asked slowly and…confused?

My grey coal eyes must've stretched out. How could he be in shock that I cut myself. "Yeah." I answered nonchalant. And his expression turned even more complex. What's his deal? So I asked him myself. "I cut myself. So what?"

He seemed to be really hurt by my question. His green eyes burned mine. "You cut **yourself** it is a very big deal when you're the one holding the knife."

Blind rage flooded my pores how dare he talk to me like some child! "Look I didn't cut myself in front your eyes I'm okay and…Wait this is none of your damn business!" Faster before he could blink on was on my feet, blade stuffed in my tight denim shorts and out the door of the empty auditorium. The cool air licked every part of my skin even my wound that made me walk even faster at the sound of steps coming after me.

"I think your over reacting…" My beautiful best friend Pixie Corpse answered from her position on my bed. And yes Pixie is beautiful she's taller and paler than me but our eyes are about the same color at least. She has this strong impendent attitude that all the boys like, even a couple of popular boys. That part always confused Reaper-my closet male friend to this day- because our group looked so scary and unapproachable but the guys still came up to Pixie Corpse as if she was one of the cheerleaders.

Speaking of cheerleaders I have a huge beef with one out of the whole squad. Her name is Heather, the tallest Asian member with a ton of bitch in her ass. Its amazing how none of the cheerleaders don't have a problem with me but Heather…well I think Courtney does sometimes the way she glared at that day at the game. Well I should've just listened to Reaper when he said don't start a conversation with her bad boyfriend, because she had major jealous issues…

"There she goes again thinking off topic." My tall friend yanked out my iPod ear bud. "So Gwen who was the guy that saw you?" Despite Reaper's appearance he didn't have a rough deep voice, it was low calming and warm.

I thought back to the annoying guy at the auditorium for a moment. I probably knew every detail about him expect his name. "I have no idea…" I answered bored, looking back at my new scar.

"Well explain what he looks like I'm interested now…" He answered. I always wondered about his sexuality to this day. Reaper is very handsome and looks gorgeous when he lets his huge Mohawk hang real low, the make up brings out his hazel eye color, it sometimes stun me when the light reflects off them. "I know you probably know every detail about him…"

My face turned bright red by accident, and he let a roar of laughter leave his lips taking a position next to Pixie . She elbowed him in the chest playfully when he mocked me by making a dreamy expression and kiss Pixie jokingly. "Stop Reaper I find it wonderful how Gwen captures the detail in everyone she see's." She got up from the bed and gave me a warm hug, I was shorter compared to her so her C-Cup breast were at my shoulder. "Its how she makes such lovely art of everyone."

Pixie voice was so smooth and mature. "So tell me what did he look like? We might know him."

"Well…" I dragged out looking at the floor, I hated proving Reaper right. "He was tall like this…" I held my right arm up to show them he toward over me.

"Well that's like most of the school population…save for Duncan" Reaper chuckled out and Pixie joined in on him. "And we know he isn't too tall because the guys I know would've ran their mouths to some one…" He stretched out on my bed, I can tell he was thinking.

"That's what I was telling her, and the way his attitude sounded I'm guessing that its Trent who saw her." Pixie smiled at that thought.

Reaper shot his head up. "You mean to tell me **the** Trent?" He said it like he was important.

"Who is Trent?" I asked. "Does he have like bright green sort of almond shape eyes?"

"She's defiantly talking about Trent then, he has messy black hair too right?" Reaper asked, I nodded in agreement.

Pixie smiled again twisting her light purple hair around her fingers. "Trent moved here a couple months back, he got popular with everyone in less than a week…He is very nice tries to get along with just about everyone he meets. And he actually wants to get to know you once you start a conversation with him…And I cant think of nothing bad to say about him." This sort of surprised me even though my best friends never really like talking about people they always pointed out the negative things in everyone because they were just that honest.

"So how do you know all this Pixie?" There was no way she thought all those things about him unless she has had a couple of conversations with him.

"We have a chemistry class with the guy together." Reaper answered. "Just like she said he is a really cool guy practically a melting pot how much he can get along with so many kinds of people." A smirked plastered on his face out of nowhere it was too late to put my poker face back on. "You want to meet him?"

I answered what I was thinking all day. "Hell no." My voice had lace of ice inside each letter and added my signature 'get the fuck away' glare.

He only shrugged in response half of his face covered with his hair since his Mohawk wasn't at his highest, today. Walking to me he pulled me into a brief warm hug that made my insides lit up, Reaper was the moon of my night always guiding me when I'm lost. "Cheer up kid I'm sure you'll forget all this by tomorrow." I sure wished I could agree with him.

Pixie Corpse took the hand he offered, she coming to his ear making me the third shortest of the group, but not the last. "Bye love, I'll call you when Reaper drops me off at home, if the smell of his car don't kill me first." She gave him a playful smack on the arm after he glared at our giggles. Pixie Corpse was my stars of the night, absolutely no way for me not to contact her.

When my friends left my room I closed the door behind them and walked straight to my bed. My thoughts of…Trent came right to my brain when my head hit the pillow and dark slumber covered my entire body…

"Mm sugar what's wrong with you?" My tiny friend asked me. She had her hair super cropped in the back but a thick amount on the top and her bangs were swept upward out her face while the rest tousled wildly all colored a soft pink. Her name was Marilyn and even though she had a rough attitude she was almost as sweet as Pixie Corpse. But she was those type of girls you saw model dark fashion in magazines. And yes she basically looked like the stereotyped high fashioned Goth.

"Oh Marilyn this morning was terrible…" When the 5"2 companion nodded for me to continue I lifted my head from the picnic table to explain this morning "So I get up and realized that I slept through the entire day and decide if I hurry up and take a shower nothing bad could happen. As soon I get out though I smell smoke and doors slamming open. So I run down to the kitchen thinking that something was left on and sure enough there's a small grease fire in the kitchen. So I put it out and try and hurry up and open all the windows but before I could even get it all the way up my mom comes down the steps screaming at me…"

" I didn't know my little brother was going to try and make breakfast. She yelled that it's my job to make breakfast for him in the morning because she needs all the rest she can get from the night shift and I could've woken up earlier. That's when I realized I over slept too long…" I stopped for a moment breathing in the warm air. "The whole house could've burned down because how careless I was…"

Marilyn stopped me from talking when she almost jammed her nail file in my hand. Glaring her eyes were brown because of her contacts. "Stop talking!" She whispered harshly, I had no choice but to look up at her now because she was sitting on the table. "Its not your fault your little brother got up to fix something. He's freaking ten! That's unpredictable enough and everyone makes mistakes don't beat yourself up over…" She paused a moment looking at a mad pink line on my left arm. _'Oh no…'_

But thank God the bell wrong at that moment before anymore could be said. Grabbing my formerly white backpack-it had signatures and quotes from me and my friends all over it now- and throwing my sketch book inside I was out my seat from the table before she could grab my arm. "Thanks so much Marilyn!" I gushed in fake excitement and she saw right through it with the look she gave me. But I turned away from her gaze with all the power I had.

Walking through the hallways in school was not the best moment of the day especially when it was filled. You'd think because so many people were around no one would just pay attention to only you. But I found out around the first hour in this dump I was so wrong. There are always a handful of people who stand out in the crowd and I'm one of them.

They're looking at me right now head-to-toe. My thick short black dyed hair with its dark teal streaks, my make up dark smoky eye-shadow with dark lipstick. Extra white skin in a place filled with healthy looking teens. Then my fashion, today I was wearing a extra tight short dress, it had little straps and a high split on both sides. But I made sure too keep in dress code by wearing a low cut tank top and coal grey tights, but they did have hand made holes in them.

I didn't know wither to call this attention I'm getting good or bad. I mean they way they stare at Pixie Corpse and Marilyn it seems to be in awe. And Reaper knows that deep down he does have a somewhat fan base, all the handsome boys out here do. But me, I feel so normal compared to those three even though me and Marilyn the same age, I feel like she is more older. Both girls have bigger boobs than me, Pixie having the largest. And I maybe skinnier than Marilyn but she had a good amount of meat on her bones that gave her more sex appeal than us. And Pixie Corpse was just elegant dark beauty, like a enchanting witch.

Reaper has told me a couple times that I'm just too adorable, but that's the problem. Who wants a baby face?

Entering my first period I was glad that I was practically invisible. Its art class 2-D AP, but you really couldn't tell with the dorks in this joint. Sometimes I wished I had the even more quieter later periods, which were filled with honor students. But then again I'd stick out like a sore thumb because I swear all the honor students around here look like they have their own personal dress code.

The classroom is very large and has huge thick wooden tables placed just everywhere, the teacher said that when he came here they were like that and he didn't bother moving them. I sit in the furthers back with some of the horrible artist area, the super good artist usually sit in the front because they get most of the attention anyway.

So right across from my table use to be these two girls who names I could never remember. But they switched to dance from what I hear, I wish they came back because my new neighbors were just horrible. It wasn't like they talk to me or anything it's that how they talk to each other…I can hear it all. I was mostly relived when they decided to skip class on the same days- Wednesday and Tuesday. But unfortunately today was Monday.

Pulling out my sketch book I begin to work on my assignment on the dry erase board. My mind was so focus on my sketch that I barely noticed the classroom filling up ten minutes later. "Mmph!" I jumped at the sound and looked to see where it came from and regretted it.

A mocha colored haired girl a little bit shorter than me but she had a permanent tan to her skin back was to me, sitting on the table. In front of her between her legs was her boyfriend he was my color skin and had unbelievable bright teal eyes was only looking down at her. It looked like he put her on the table the way her expensive bag laid on the dirty floor. I couldn't help but turn to another blank page in my book and begin to draw out the girl's body frame.

It didn't take long because even though I hate to admit it, my book was filled with drawings of my class mates and people I see on the street. But I was use to drawing these two because they sat across from me for more than five months. Plus they were probably the most interesting couple I drew to date because how their body types and attitudes were nothing alike. I could tell by the mini fights they have in class they were a love-hate-lust type of couple.

I stopped drawing them once the small green Mohawk haired male leaned his face down so they can start kissing. I noticed this after my third week of being right next to them he always started kissing her when another argument was just waiting to happen. And other times he would just nuzzle her face to just piss her off anymore, I think he liked that.

About ten minutes later of finishing my first sketch I got up to get my teacher. There was no use of calling his name or raising my hand for attention he wouldn't see me. He followed me back to my seat any way. The reason why was my neighbors…

They must've thought we'd be gone for a long time because now the boyfriend held her head back while placing a furry of kisses on her cheeks. His girlfriend looked like she was numb from the attention she was receiving. "Duncan and Courtney get out my class and get a failing grade if you wont stop…" My teacher said flatly adjusting his sunglasses, we don't know why he wears so much. Some swear he's blind.

Duncan Carter snorted for a moment but did pull his lips away and slid his precious girl of the desk so they can take stools. "Sorry man but you know how teen love is, right Gwen?" He had a shit eating grin on his face. Duncan knew me since kindergarten, though we didn't talk much he did know I didn't have long relationships at the school.

"Shut up Duncan, its her choices of what she does with her boyfriends." Courtney Mann glared at him. That was shocking but relieving that she stood up for me. Turing toward me her large chocolate eyes stared back at mine warmly. "Sorry for Duncan acting rude."

"Its okay Courtney I've gotten use to his sarcastic attitude." I said back flatly holding my hands up. Our teacher had walked away as we continued out small chit chat. "I'm sure its worse for you to seeing him all day."

She laughed out loud which was what I'm kind of use to sitting next to them all the time and Duncan cracking jokes. "Actually it doesn't bother me I'm basically a mother and a girlfriend with this goon…"

Duncan shut her up by playfully wrapping his arm around her shoulders and slapping sloppy kisses on her cheek that were loud. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here." She turned around to face him to say something but his teal eyes went to another direction. "Hey dude!" He yelled out in a child like voice.

Me and his girlfriend turned around at the same time and I gasped in pure horror. A tall male with healthy glowing skin entered our area, he had a ebony hair that was a little past his neck but messy. I was amazed how his black graphic tee and low jeans fitted him. His walk was smooth graceful. Trent smiled at us as he approach, glancing at me for a moment there was a tension between me and him.

But I was sort of grateful that he continued to past me and walk to the couple. "Hey man." Trent greeted him warmly, but bend down to give Courtney a polite hug, quickly though and she hugged him back. "Hello Ms. Mann…" He greeted and Courtney giggled. "So what you wanted me to come down here for?" He asked Duncan leaning back against the table, I swear I saw him glance at me a moment.

Duncan grabbed Courtney to lean both their bodies against the table, his girlfriend being in front of him. "What I can't call one of my guy friends to come see me." He answered with a sexy grin.

Trent took a metal stool next to him to sit down. "No I don't have a problem but every time I go skip out on something to see you I get in some kind of trouble…Like the other night…"

He shuted up when he noticed Duncan staring daggers at him. But it was too late Courtney turned around and gave him a discipline look. "That better not been you I heard about on the news bout last night."

Duncan looked down at her for probably ten seconds quietly, then replyed. "No baby, you know Trent has memory issues since that soccer game incident."

"That's a load of bull, Duncan but I'll let it go this time until I find out who it was." She relped laying her back on his chest, not seeing Duncan glate at Trent in treason.

"Well anyway what you guys up to this class looks so cool." He said looking around the interior and looking at me again. "I didn't know you two were so artistic."

"We're really not." Duncan sighed playing in Courts hair. "This is just one of these classes I'm taking early so I won't have problems with graduation." I rolled my eyes, I took this class because I love art and I knew Courtney didn't require this class at all either.

"Oh, well who is talented here?" He asked looking expecting at me. I looked another direction and covered my sketch book with my bag from his noisy eyes. I didn't want this stranger to know me regardless of his famous kindness.

But Court, betrayed my wishes and pointed a shiny nail to me. "She likes kicks everyone butt in this class."

I wanted to glare daggers at the cheerleader, but Trent face was three feet from mine. I have no idea why I didn't want to look so mean in front of him. I mean he just like any other dude in this room, not to mention a stranger…

"Yea, I'm pretty artistic…" I answered in a snort, turning around ending the conversation.

But I saw him get in front of desk with a curious facial expression. I groaned mentally, but actually kept my poker face. "I'm artistic too!"

I wanted to say 'Wow want a cookie?' instead I answered. "Really how?" I expected him to be one of those people who loved drawling but couldn't make a good sketch to save his life.

He took a stool to sit in front of me, I actually liked how he only looked me in the eye and nowhere else.

**A/N : This is just a quick preview too a short story I started a year ago ( ? ) It's Trent and Gwen story. Not sure I wanted to make it romantic or not. This does come from the "Just Like TV" story, lets a say a prequel. Once again this story will be short, I just want to finish this before I begin the next chapter too 'Just Like TV'**

**Visit my profile for more info**

**-Tip Rockafeller **


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